FACEing Amy
by JPsmiles
Summary: Face's world is turned upside down by the return of Amy.
1. Chapter 1

Note: I received a request that I write a Face/Amy story…so here it is! But the whole team plays a big role. Hope you enjoy!

Face never thought he would be happy to hear the wailing sounds or see the flashing lights in the distance. But as he lay on the ground with a knife wielding goon looming over him it was music to his ears. "Saved by the sirens,' he thought.

"Let's get outta here," he heard a gruff voice say and then the bad guys left in a hurry.

The sirens were growing louder and Face's survival instinct kicked in. He forced himself up and over to a scared stiff Amy and began pushing her toward his Corvette. "C'mon...we have to move."

Adrenaline took over and he felt no pain as they peeled out onto the road leaving a trail of dust behind them. Dodging in and out of traffic he sped until he was sure they had lost the MPs. It wasn't until he slowed down that he first noticed the blood on his hands and felt his injuries. He glanced over at Amy who was staring straight ahead, still in shock. He wanted to ask her what was going on, but she didn't look any more capable of answering than he was of listening.

The blood loss was beginning to make him feel lightheaded and nauseous. He headed the car in the direction of Hannibal's place and just hoped he would get there before passing out.

It wasn't until the vehicle came to a stop that Amy seemed to come out of her daze to see the blood on the steering wheel. "Face, are you okay?"

"Hmmm," Face mumbled, his energy waning.

"Face, you're bleeding."

"Mmm...yeah...guess I am," Face slurred.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't want you to get hurt."

"S'okay."

"Where are we?"

"Hannibal's place." Face was breathing hard; beads of sweat forming on his brow. "And we're late."

"Late?" Amy asked in confusion.

"At least I am." Face paused to catch his breath. "Was due here a couple hours ago." Face slowly climbed out the door and held onto the roof for support. "Just...gimme a...minute."

"Face...I'm sorry."

"I told you, s'alright."

"No. I'm sorry, but I can't go in there." And with that Amy started to back away from the car.

"Wait...where...where're you going?"

"I should have never involved you in this...it was a mistake."

"Mistake or not...I am involved now. Let me help."

"I...I'm sorry." And with that the brunette took off running.

"Amy!" Face called out and started to run after her. He only made it a few steps before his head began to spin and he had to stop. Leaning over with his hands resting on his thighs he watched Amy disappear around a corner. He took a few deep breaths before standing back up and staggering his way toward the door.

Face had one foot inside when he heard the familiar purr of his engine and turned back to see Amy peeling away in his prized vehicle. "Damn!" he cursed, realizing that he had left the keys in the ignition. But there was nothing he could do in his current state, so he continued on inside.

"That fool Faceman better have a good excuse for bein' so late," B.A. grumbled.

Murdock patted B.A. on his muscular shoulder eliciting a growl. "Relax, big guy. I'm sure Face has a good reason."

"And it better not involve no woman."

"With Face there is always a woman involved," Hannibal quipped. "Ah...and speak of the ladies man himself."

At first they didn't notice that anything was amiss with their teammate when he entered the room, but then again they weren't really looking. B.A. saw Face begin to sway violently and he ran over and grabbed hold of his shoulders. Face gasped at the touch before collapsing against the gold laden chest.

"Hey...Faceman's hurt."

"I'm...fine," Face lied as B.A. laid him down on the ground. His voice was shaky and his words mumbled. "And...wasn't any woman...was...Amy."

"Amy?" the others exclaimed in unison as Face promptly passed out.

"Let's get him to the couch," Hannibal directed taking note of the slashes to Face's black shirt and the blood on his hands and khaki pants.

"Murdock, get the med kit and B.A., some clean towels and a basin of water."

"Yes, sir."

Hannibal unbuttoned and removed Face's shirt and frowned as he took in a myriad of cuts.

"How's he doin', man?" B.A. asked a couple of minutes later while Murdock started setting out some supplies.

"Most of these are superficial and have stopped bleeding." Hannibal pointed to a long and deep gash running from shoulder to just above the elbow. "With the exception of this one. It's going to need cleaning and stitching...any volunteers?"

"I think it's the fool's turn,"

"Nuh-uh, big guy, I sewed him up last time."

"No you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"Um, hey," Face said weakly, his eyes remaining shut. "Man bleeding here."

"Sorry, kid. Tell you what...I'll patch you up myself."

"Great...can't wait."

B.A. held Face's arm still as Hannibal poured an antiseptic onto the wound. "Ahh," he gasped, his back arching from the intensity of the liquid fire.

"Hang in there, buddy," Murdock soothed taking hold of Face's free hand for support.

Face kept a firm grip on Murdock's hand and stared up at the ceiling with gritted teeth. Hannibal worked as quickly and gently as possible, but still with the length of the cut it took nearly 20 minutes for him to stitch him up. When Hannibal announced he was done, Face was ghostly pale and sweaty; his breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

"B.A., get some water."

"Right, colonel."

"Try to slow down your breathing, kid," Hannibal encouraged. "Look at me...in through your nose...out through your mouth."

Face tried to breathe along with Hannibal and by the time B.A. had returned with the glass of water he was almost at a normal pace.

"Drink this, Faceman." Hannibal helped lift Face's torso upwards while B.A. held the glass to his lips. "Take it slow, man."

"What happened, Face?" Hannibal asked as he started to clean up some of the other cuts.

"Amy happened."

Murdock started feeling around on Face's head causing B.A. to ask, "What you doin', fool?"

"I'm checking to see if Face hit his head...Amy's been out of the country for a couple of years now."

Face winced at Hannibal's ministrations eliciting a sympathetic grin from the colonel. "Well, she's back...and in trouble."

"Tell us exactly what went down."

Face began to recount the day's events starting with the frantic phone call to his car phone early in the day.

_'Face…Face…I need your help…I'm in trouble.'_

_'Amy?' It took Face a moment to wrap his mind around who was on the other end of the line. 'Amy,' he repeated in confusion._

_'They're after me…please come…help me.' Her tone was desperate…terrified._

_'Where are you? I'll call the guys and we'll meet you.'_

_'No…no time. They're on my tail…'_

_'Who?'_

_'Just come…please hurry…the pier.' As an afterthought she said softly, 'you know the one.'_

_'Hang tight…I'm on my way.'_

Face did know the one; the last time he had been there…but he couldn't let himself go there with the guys now. As it was he was having trouble talking through the pain and he was feeling increasingly nauseous. He stopped to take some deep breaths before continuing.

"When I got there two goons were holding Amy while a third held a knife on her."

_'Let her go.'_

_ 'Ah…isn't this touching…your boyfriend is here to rescue you.'_

_ "I said…let – her- go.'_

_'Drop it pretty boy or the little lady here gets a new face.'_

Face's words started to tumble out at a rapid pace as he relived the experience. "I tossed my gun aside…I heard Amy scream as she was pushed away. Then hands grabbed me from behind…never saw it coming. They wrestled me down…felt knife slicing me…heard sirens…they ran…next thing I knew it we were here."

The little color Face had drained from his cheeks and his eyes drifted shut. He suddenly felt detached from the room and from his own body.

"Kid…you doing okay?" No answer. Hannibal put down the antiseptic soaked cloth and reached for Face's wrist. His pulse was fast, his breathing shallow and his skin felt clammy. "Damn…he's going into shock."

Wordlessly they set into action. B.A. carefully lifted Face's legs while Murdock elevated them by placing a rolled up blanket underneath them. Hannibal covered Face with an afghan figuring he had done all he could to clean his wounds and that what he needed now was rest.

"What we do now, man?"

Hannibal kept his eyes trained on his ailing friend and answered, "We keep him warm and as comfortable as possible. Hopefully with some sleep he'll be alright."

Face could hear them talking about him but it sounded far away. It wasn't until Murdock asked, "Did he say 'we were here'?" Murdock asked. "If so, then where's Amy?"

Face forced his eyes back open in spite of how heavy his lids felt. "My Vette...she stole my Vette." With that his head lolled to the side and he was out.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. looked at each other each thinking the same thing. It was Murdock that spoke first. "You would have thought that would be the first thing out of his mouth."

"Much as I hate agreein' with you, fool, you right. That car is his baby."

Hannibal frowned. "Damn…that just tells us how much he's hurting." But something told him it went deeper than his physical injuries.

As the sun rose the next morning, Face too rose but not without a little assistance from Murdock.

"Let's take it slow, Face."

Face nodded, but it wasn't as if he had much choice in the matter. As soon as he was vertical the world began to tilt and his knees buckled.

"Whoa there, partner," Murdock said as he quickly grabbed Face by the waist so as not to grab his injured arm. "Maybe you shouldn't be on your feet yet."

"M'fine," Face breathed.

"No…you're green."

"Just gimme a sec."

"Don't worry…we're not moving until your coloring is a little less like Kermit the Frog and bit more Miss Piggy."

"Oink," Face quipped, but then swayed once more.

"Nice try," Murdock smiled.

A couple of minutes later Face was able to start the short trip to the kitchen under the watchful eye of Murdock who hadn't wanted to let go. When they arrived Hannibal stood and pulled out a chair.

"Hey man…you look like crap," B.A. stated bluntly as he watched Face gingerly sit.

Face gave a slight smile and quipped, "and you look like a jewelry store threw up on you."

Hannibal and Murdock chuckled at the banter, but they could all see that Face was putting up a front to hide his discomfort.

"Our first order of business is to find Face's 'Vette…and if we find the 'Vette hopefully we find Amy." Hannibal leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "Let's start at the pier…maybe somebody saw something."

"I been thinkin', colonel," B.A. started,

"Uh-oh," Murdock teased.

"Shut-up, fool. At least when I think steam don't come outta my ears. As I was sayin', if a call is made from the 'Vette I can use the equipment in my van to trace it. We just have to hope she makes a call."

"What are we waiting for," Face said eagerly. "Let's get out to the van and get going."

"You aren't going anywhere, lieutenant…except perhaps back to bed."

"Hannibal, I'm fine." Face watched as the others rolled their eyes at him.

"Oh yeah? Is that why it took you ten minutes to shuffle a few feet from the couch to the kitchen?"

"I said I was fine."

Hannibal shrugged his shoulders. "Okay…have it your way. But at least eat something and have a cup of coffee first."

Face wasn't hungry, but he figured if he argued it wouldn't do him any good. Halfway through his cup of coffee his vision began to blur. Face rubbed his eyes with the hand from his good arm and tried to get them to focus.

"You okay, muchacho?" Murdock asked in a concerned voice.

"Told you I was…," Face mumbled before pitching forward.

"Fine," Hannibal finished, catching Face just before his head hit the table and easing him back.

Murdock's eyes grew wide. "You…you drugged him?"

Hannibal nodded while holding the unconscious Face against him. "As much as I hated doing it, it was the only way to get him to stay behind and rest."

"He's ain't gonna be feelin' too good when he wakes up…you know how good them drugs go over with the Faceman."

"True, but it's much better than him bouncing around in a van all day. Speaking of the van, let's get ready to move out."

Once they got Face settled into a bed Hannibal covered him with a blanket, leaned over and whispered, "I'm sorry, kid." Turning to Murdock he said, "Captain, you stay here with Face."

"Yes, sir. Billy and I will take good care of him." Murdock bent over and petted his invisible dog.

"Oh, man, Hannibal…but who gonna take care of the fool?"

Hannibal laughed and patted B.A. on the back and winked. "Billy will."

B.A. groaned and muttered as the duo headed out for the van.

* * *

"Nothin'...so nobody saw nothin'?" B.A. asked a couple of hours later they drove away from the pier.

"I'm afraid not. And assuming from your cheery disposition, I guess there were no calls either."

"Nah, man. We back to square one."

"Okay...let's head back and check in on Face."

The ringing of the phone made them both jump. Hannibal and B.A. shared a look; very few had the number...and Amy was one of them.

Hannibal picked up the receiver and didn't have a chance to speak before the familiar voice asked, "How is he?"

Hannibal nodded at B.A. who began tracing the call and responded, "I assume you're referring to Face. He's been better."

"I...I didn't want him to get hurt."

Hannibal had a hard time hiding his irritation at the situation she had put Face in. "But he did...and then you stole his car. Now I think we at least deserve an explanation."

"It's complicated..."

Trying to soften his approach he said gently, "Now look, kid. Whatever trouble you're in, we can help you."

"No...it's my fault Face got hurt...I won't take that risk again."

Hannibal was stalling trying to give B.A. enough time. "Face is going to be okay, but it's you he's worried about."

Amy's voice seemed to lift. "He is?"

"Yes, we all are. Let us in."

"I'm...I'm sorry. I can't. Look...I'll get Face's car back to him soon."

B.A. gave Hannibal a thumbs up sign indicating that the trace had been successful and immediately pulled out onto the road.

"Amy..."

"I'm sorry...really I am. I gotta go."

There was a click and Hannibal hung up the phone. "You got it?"

"Yeah...I got it."

"Nice, B.A."

"She holed up in a motel about twenty minutes north of here. But I'll get us there in fifteen."

True to his word, fifteen minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of the seedy motel and immediately spotted Face's car. After greasing the palm of the desk attendant, they made their way up to Amy's room.

Getting into the room wasn't a problem; with B.A.'s muscle it never was. Getting Amy to agree to leave with them, however, was not so easy. It required B.A. to flex his other muscle: his mouth. "Listen Mama, you can either walk outta here or I'll carry ya...but either way you comin' with us. Now stop the jibber-jabber and move."

Amy was silent as she sat in Hannibal's usual seat in the van. She stared out the window and saw Face's Corvette following closely behind with Hannibal at the wheel. Face. She didn't want to see him again; it hurt too much. She was kicking herself for ever calling him the day before, but she didn't know where else to turn. And now she was headed straight back to him...and the memories.

Face woke to the sound of voices coming from the living room. Disoriented, he tried to remember how he wound up in bed when the last thing he remembered was sitting at the kitchen table.

"That son of a …," Face cursed as he realized what must have happened.

Hannibal appeared in the doorway moments later. "You called?"

"You drugged me," Face seethed, struggling to push himself up with his good arm.

Hannibal rushed over and helped ease him up. "I'm sorry, kid. It was for your own good."

Face closed his eyes and swallowed back the bile that had risen to his throat from the change in body position. By the time his stomach had settled down enough to open them back up, Murdock and B.A. had entered the room. Amy was standing back in the doorway, but was blocked from his view by B.A.'s hulking figure.

"How're you feelin', man?"

"Just peachy, B.A.," Face deadpanned. "For a guy that has been stabbed, robbed, and drugged."

"I'm so…so…sorry, Face."

B.A. stepped out of the way revealing the attractive brunette whose eyes were moist with tears.

Face's heart started to beat faster and his palms grew sweaty. "Are…are you okay?" he finally managed to stutter out.

"I should be asking you that," Amy smiled swiping at her eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

"I'm better now that I know you're safe."

'There's something going on between those two,' Hannibal thought watching the uncomfortable way they were looking at each other. Dismissing it as a reaction to the events from the day prior, Hannibal decided it was time to figure out what was going on that led them here. "Okay, Amy…what's going on?"

Amy bit at her lip nervously before responding, "I don't even know where to start?"

"Just take it from the top."

"Yeah…we all ears, mama."

Murdock removed his cap and scratched his head. "Really? I thought we were all people, but…"

"Murdock!" B.A. growled grabbing the cap and hitting him over the head with it.

Hannibal led the nervous reported over to the window seat and gently pushed her down onto it. It seemed like an eternity before she began to tell her story.

"It all happened so quickly. A couple of months ago I went to Sicily to follow a lead about Gianni Morandi."

"The mob boss out of Chicago?" Hannibal asked.

"Yes. After disappearing from the States I learned that he took up residence in a secluded Villa. I became curious why a man at the prime of his life suddenly takes off...there had to be a reason, and a front page one at that."

"Aw, man...you and your front page," B.A. muttered.

"I know it's hard to understand, but it's what I do...it's in my blood. This time, however, I got too involved...and it became personal." Amy looked at Face and then quickly away. "My sources told me that Gianni was looking for a decorator to redo a couple of his rooms and I went in undercover."

"What do you know about decorating?"

"Well, I took some classes in college, and the rest I just made up as I went along. All that time I spent with Face finally came in handy for something."

Face winced and his head drooped slightly at the words.

"I...um...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, I started as Gianni's decorator and then well we started to see each other socially."

Hannibal's eyebrows went up. "Was this still for the good of your story?"

Amy nodded. "At first, yes. I learned that he was trafficking drugs; when the feds started turning on the heat he decided to go to Italy until things cooled down again. But then...well...," Amy blushed and looked at the ground, "I found myself becoming very attracted to him."

"Oh brother...or in your case...oh sister."

"Exactly, B.A. I knew I had to get out of there...even if it meant abandoning the story. I couldn't allow myself to fall for a mobster, so I broke it off with Gianni."

"But he wasn't exactly ready to let go," Hannibal filled in.

"No."

"He didn't force himself on you, mama...'cause if he did..."

"No...no B.A." She blushed. "He never had to force himself."

It was like a knife to Face's gut. He closed his eyes feeling exhaustion taking over. He felt a hand on his good shoulder followed by Hannibal's voice.

"You okay, kid?"

Face opened his eyes and nodded. "Yeah...fine." Nobody believed him. "Go on, Amy."

That's it, really. I fled in the middle of the night last week, but yesterday Gianni's head guard Rico and his muscle bound crew found me. That's when I called Face."

"Guess I came in handy again."

"Face, I'm really sorry you got hurt...and for stealing your car. When I saw you bleeding and realized that it was all because you helped me, I panicked."

"I wanted to help...and I still do."

"We all do," Murdock added.

"Where is Morandi now? Is he still in Sicily?"

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised after his men lost me yesterday that he wouldn't get on a plane and fly out here."

"Man...this dude must have fallen real hard to go to all this trouble?"

"I think a big part of it is that he doesn't like to lose and he's not accustomed to not getting what he wants. That's what makes him so dangerous...he'll fight until things go his way."

"Well, he hasn't met us yet...and we don't like to lose either," Hannibal grinned. "Amy, you stay here with Face. The rest of us have some work to do...let's go."

"Hannibal, I'm not sitting this one out," Face protested. "I wasn't cut that badly."

"I still don't like your color." Hannibal put a hand to Face's forehead. "And you feel a bit warm. Plus we need somebody to stay here with Amy."

"Hannibal..."

"Humor me, kid. I'd rather have you at 100% when we really need you...let us handle the leg work."

Face sighed in defeat knowing that Hannibal was right. But he also didn't want to be left alone with Amy. That's just where he found himself moments later.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Amy slowly walked over to Face's bed and pointed to the bandage that covered most of Face's upper arm. "Does it hurt much?"

Face shook his head no. "Just aches a bit." The truth was that it was throbbing mercilessly as was his head.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No…I'm okay." Face couldn't tell her what he really wanted; he couldn't even admit it to himself.

The elephant in the room was so large that it was sucking all the air out of the space.

Amy stood awkwardly for a few more moments before announcing, "I think I'll go take a long shower." She was halfway out the door when Face stopped her.

"Amy?" Face wanted to tell her to stay a little longer so that they could talk. But as soon as she turned back around and he looked into her eyes he froze.

"Yes?"

"Um...there are clean towels in the closet." Face swallowed hard. "Enjoy the shower."

Amy waited a second sensing that Face had something more he wanted to say. When no words came she smiled and walked out of the room.

"Smooth, Peck...real smooth," Face chastised himself. He lay there staring at the ceiling and listening to the sounds of the running water from the next door bathroom.

Amy, too, listened to the sound of the shower as she sat on the toilet seat and watched the falling water.

They were separated physically by a wall, but mentally they went back to that same memory of when they were together under the pier almost two years prior.

_Neither one meant for it to happen; they had simply gone for a walk to clear their heads after returning from a mission. A full moon reflected off of the water as they strolled barefoot on the sand and talked. Gradually their bodies moved closer and their hands intertwined. _

_They walked until the pier loomed up ahead. Amy bent down and splashed some water up at Face and then let go and went running with a giggle. Face took chase until he caught up to Amy under the pier and they both fell to their knees breathless. _

_Blue eyes met brown and no words were needed. Leaning into each other their lips met and lingered softly against each before parting in order to allow for deeper exploration. When they finally pulled away it was Amy who made the next move by unbuttoning Face's shirt. They took turns removing articles of clothing from each other until there was nothing left and they faced each other fully exposed for the first time._

_Once again it was Amy who moved first. Pushing Face down onto his back she straddled him and began to rub his chest while grinding against him._

_Face reached up and caressed her cheeks and then moved his hands down to her breasts. "You are so beautiful."_

_"I want you, Templeton…please…I want you." _

_He had never heard her say his name before and it sounded so right coming from her lips. "And I want you."_

_Amy backed up off him just enough so she could slowly slide herself back down and allow him to enter her. She gasped with pleasure feeling Face fill her and began to rock gently back and forth allowing him deeper and deeper…_

Amy and Face both had their eyes closed wanting to stay in the moment when they exploded with passion and then held each other under the stars.

For those hours nothing else had mattered; not the fact that Face was a wanted man or that Amy had a deadline to meet. Or that Face was a ladies' man while Amy was a one man kind of gal. Or that they were both members of the same team and teammates shouldn't get involved romantically.

In that moment life was perfect…they were perfect. But then reality came crashing back along with the waves. And that same reality forced Amy back into the present.

Amy felt that same anxiety she felt before; the same urge to run. Looking around the bathroom, she saw her way out.

Face had heard Amy say she wanted to take a long shower, but it was bordering on epic. Deciding he better go and check on her, he bit by bit worked his way up until he was sitting on the side of the bed. 'Ugh…damn drugs,' he thought as the nausea flared up again. Pushing onto his feet, he swayed unsteadily for a moment and took a deep breath.

By the time he made it out the door and to the adjoining bathroom, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his already unsettled stomach. He knocked on the door, "Amy…you alright?"

Nothing but the sound of the shower.

"Amy?" he tried louder.

Still nothing. Face wasted no time in picking the lock and entering the steam filled room. It took a few seconds for the fog to clear and for Face to realize that Amy was gone…and the window was open.

He got to the window and looked down to see Amy moving towards his car. "Not again!"

Realizing that the quickest way to get outside would be to follow Amy's footsteps, he ignored the pain, and the fact that he was only wearing pants, and started climbing through the window. He felt his stitches ripping as he lowered himself to a hanging position and then released his grip to fall to the ground below.

It was a short drop, but still the impact jarred his abused body and took his breath away. When it returned he called out, "Amy!", but fell to his knees unable to move yet.

Amy had her hand on the Corvette's door handle, but turned back at Face's yell. Her hands went to her head in horror as she screamed, "behind you!"

Face didn't have a chance to react before feeling the cold steel dig into his back. "On your feet, pretty boy." Turning his attention to Amy he bellowed, "You move, I'll shoot him."

Face recognized the voice as that of Rico, his attacker from the day before. Schooling his features, he slowly managed to get to his feet and put both arms up in surrender.

"Now turn around real slow like."

Face complied and with a wry grin said, "If I knew you were coming I would have dressed for the occasion.

"Don't worry, you'll be wearing a body bag by the time I get through with you…but first I think we'll have a little fun."

Something about the way the creep was leering at him and looking him up and down made Face uneasy. His heart started beating faster as he tried not to squirm under the scrutiny. But he felt like a piece of meat and was afraid that he might wind up being this guys preferred cut.

Face thought briefly about trying to take out his opponent, but with a gun pointed at his chest and his lack of strength the odds weren't in his favor. And then there was Amy. If he failed, she would be left alone and would ultimately wind up at Gianni Morandi's mercy.

"What do you say we go for a little ride in your car…just the three of us?"

"You know what they say, three's a crowd. How about you wait here and…" The gun was jabbed in his direction, forcing Face to start moving toward the car. "And on second thought, the more the merrier."

They drove in silence down the highway. Amy was behind the wheel since the blood staining Face's bandage made her appear the better candidate for the job. Face rode shotgun and was all too aware of the actual gun being trained on them from the backseat.

After driving for a couple of hours they arrived at what looked to be an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere. As soon as Amy stopped the car they were greeted by the other two from the beach escapade.

Face was shaking from the physical strain and Amy from the fear as they were escorted inside. Amy clasped Face's good arm as much to help support him as to give her something to hold onto to keep her from losing control. They were shoved inside a small room with cement walls that was empty except for a long wooden table.

"Mr. Morandi won't arrive until late tonight." Rico licked his lips and winked at Face. "But I'll be back soon to get the party started."

Face cringed as the steel door slammed shut. He fell back against the cold hard wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: The subject matter is a bit intense ahead in this chapter, but nothing too graphic or detailed which is why I didn't change the rating of the story._

* * *

Hannibal knew something was off when he stepped out of the van, but he couldn't place it. But as they started walking through the parking lot and toward the condo it hit him.

"The 'Vette…," Hannibal stood staring at the spot where it had been parked earlier. "It's gone."

They raced inside and checked every room before Murdock drew their attention to the bathroom. "Do you normally keep this window open, colonel?"

Hannibal shook his head. "No."

"You think someone got in that way?" B.A. inspected the window sill. "Don't see no signs of forced entry, man."

"Or maybe someone went out…" Murdock's voiced trailed off.

"Amy," the all concluded together moments later.

"Then where's Face?"

"We about to find out, fool…c'mon."

B.A. led them back to the van, but waited until they were inside to explain. "Mama used to say, 'fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice, then shame on me'. B.A. Baracus don't get fooled twice, so I put a tracking device on the 'Vette last night."

"Nice, B.A." Hannibal praised.

"I could kiss you right now, big guy," Murdock exclaimed leaning forward in his seat.

B.A. held up his jeweled fist. "I could kill you right now, crazy man."

Hannibal pulled a cigar out of his pocket. "Let's hit it."

* * *

The room was cold and damp, and the floor was anything but comfortable. Face let out an involuntary shudder and wrapped his arms around his bare torso.

"Face…you okay?" Amy asked, scooting herself a little closer to sit by his side. "You're bleeding."

"Didn't we have this conversation yesterday?"

"I'm so sorry."

Face closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "Yup…heard that before too." After a long, awkward pause he asked, "why?"

"I don't know. I was in the bathroom…and then I saw the window…and I…"

Face cut her off. "No, why did you leave two years ago?" Face opened his eyes and tilted his head in her direction. "You just left without saying a word…and then a week later you call Hannibal to tell him you're in Europe."

"Face…I'm…"

Face cut her off once more. "Don't tell me you're sorry again. Do you have any idea," his voice cracked, "any idea what you did to me?"

"C'mon, Face. Do you really expect me to believe that our little one night stand meant anything to you?"

It was like he had been slapped in the face. "It obviously meant nothing to you."

"We had sex…I hardly expected a guy like you to think that it was anything more."

"A guy like me," Face repeated bitterly. The bitterness melted into sadness. "Funny…I thought we made love."

Amy's eyes opened wide; it wasn't what he said, it was how he said it. The emotion behind the words made her believe he really meant it.

Face probably would never have admitted his feelings had he not felt so physically drained. But it was as if he had no control over his mouth and the words kept pouring out.

"I hadn't felt something like that since Leslie...and then I was just a kid. With you it was…it was even deeper. And then that night on the beach, it was like a dream. I never thought you were interested…most of the time I didn't even think you liked me. But then there you were…and I thought it meant…well I thought it meant that you felt the same way about me. I thought what we did was special."

The only time Amy had see Face bare his soul like this was on the plane ride to Ecuador a few years back when the team went in search of his first love Leslie. He had that same longing look in his eye; the same wistful tone in his voice. And here he was telling her that he felt that way about her.

Amy lightly touched Face on the arm. "It was special."

"So special that you left the next day and didn't look back?"

"That was why I left…I did care about you and I didn't want to get hurt."

"Oh…and of course somebody like me would hurt you."

"No...I didn't mean it like that."

"You don't have to explain...I know my reputation. I guess I was hoping that you saw past it to the truth." Face turned his head away again and shut his eyes. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

"Used to what?"

"People I love leaving me."

Tears sprang to Amy's eyes. But before she could respond the door opened and in walked their captors.

* * *

"How far away are we, B.A.," Hannibal asked as they sped along the highway and toward the red dot on B.A.'s tracker.

"We at least two hours out, colonel."

Murdock was fidgeting nervously in the backseat. "We were gone a long time...we don't even know what time they took off."

"If you don't sit still, sucker, I'm gonna make it so you can never sit again."

"I'm just worried."

B.A. softened his tone. "We all worried, man. At least they ain't movin' no more."

"And it looks like we aren't either," Hannibal groaned looking ahead at the sea of cars that loomed ahead in the near distance.

B.A. looked around for a place to get off, but there was no exit in site. Making matters worse was the police vehicle a couple of cars back. They had no choice but to slow down, blend in and eventually come to a dead stop among the traffic.

"Damn," Hannibal cursed. That one word said it all.

* * *

Face lay spread out on the table; his limbs restrained so tightly that it prevented any movement.

Amy was still on the floor, but her right wrist had been handcuffed to a metal ring that was attached to the wall. "What are you going to do to him?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Mr. Morandi told me that you were not to be touched...he wants you all for himself. He didn't say anything about pretty boy here, however, and he is much more my type."

"Please...don't hurt him."

"I'd be a bit more worried about yourself, Ms. Allen...it's Amy isn't it?" Seeing her eyes open wide in surprise Rico smiled. "Yes...we now know who you really are. Mr. Morandi doesn't take to well to those who deceive him. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show...your turn will come soon enough."

Face was breathing hard even before the thug touched him in anticipation of what was to come. As a cold hand made contact with his chest he could feel the anger rising up in him. "I will kill you for this," he threatened.

"Talk like that only turns me on. Now, what should I call you? I don't even know your name."

"Go to hell."

"No...I doubt that's it. It's of no matter to me…but soon you will be screaming out for Rico."

Face stared at the ceiling trying to transport his mind away from what was happening to his body. Silent tears leaked from his eyes as he was groped and fondled. As the minutes ticked by, the treatment became rougher and Face gritted his teeth against the torture.

Amy, on the other hand, was openly sobbing. She looked away but could hear Face's tiny grunts and gasps of pain…both physical and mental…though she could tell he was trying to hold it in. At one point Face let out a strangled cry and Amy instinctively glanced up and saw Face's back arched off of the table, his muscles quivering in agony against his bonds. Rico was holding the flame of a lighter to his foot. She quickly turned away again, but that picture stayed engrained in her mind.

There was a loud knock and then the door opened and Face got a reprieve as his aggressor, looking none too happy, abruptly stopped and looked up.

"Mr. Morandi just arrived at the airport," the muscular guard stated.

"Right," Rico sighed in frustration. "I'm on my way. Cuff pretty boy next to the girl." He started out the door, but paused and looked back at the table. "I'll be back to finish what we started later."

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Face was cuffed to the wall a short distance from Amy, but it took a good half hour after they were alone again before he showed any signs of awareness. He sat there looking straight ahead through dull, lifeless eyes. Finally it was the constant throbbing of his arm and the burning sensation in his feet that started to bring him back around.

Amy heard Face groan; it was the first sound he had uttered in what felt like an eternity. "Face?"

Another groan.

"Face...can you hear me?"

A slight nod of his head.

"Are you okay?"

Nothing.

Amy reached out her arm toward him.

"Don't," Face recoiled. "Just don't."

Amy nodded and moved back.

"I...I swore...I swore I would never let this happen to me." As an afterthought he added, "again."

Amy's eyebrows rose. 'Again?' she thought.

Face cradled his blood soaked arm against his body and bit his lip to stop it from quivering. 'Pull it together, Peck...you can't fall apart now.' He waited until he was sure he had enough control over his emotions to speak before saying, "give me your barrette."

Of all the things Face would say, she hadn't expected that. "Excuse me?"

"Give me your barrette," he repeated.

Amy complied and then watched in fascination as Face with his one free hand managed to bend and twist the back of the clip into a lock pick. Gone was the lost look on his face, covered by a mask of sheer determination. It only took him a matter of seconds to free himself and to move onto her cuff. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin as he knelt by her side. A chill ran down her spine as he took her chin into his hand and forced her to look him.

"Keep your hand inside the cuff. Play along with whatever I do." His eyes darkened and hardened. "And when I say 'go', you run…got that?"

Amy nodded, though Face still held her head tightly.

Face finally released his hold on her. "You run fast, and don't look back. Get to the 'Vette and get yourself out of here…understood?"

"But…but what about you?"

Face crawled back to his spot and forced his hand back inside the unlocked cuff. "It's a little late for you to start thinking about me, isn't it?"

Face knew he was being harsh, but he was beyond caring about anything but getting them out of there. In order to do so he had to push his feelings down and stay focused.

Amy hung her head in shame. There was nothing she could say to take back what had happened. Face was paying the price for her mistakes; mistakes that could have and would have been avoided if only she had listened to her heart instead of her head a couple of years prior. And would have been avoided if only she had trusted the team.

There were voices outside the door followed by the turning of a lock.

'It's go time,' Face thought as he got into position, curled up on his side with his eyes closed. Cracking his eyes open ever so slightly he saw a man wearing what looked to be a designer suit followed by Rico enter.

"Hello, darling."

"Gianni," Amy responded with as much strength as she could muster. While the mobster was indeed handsome, she now felt nothing but contempt for the man.

"I do wish we could meet again under better circumstances. It's a shame you had to lie to me...we could have been so good together."

"I could never be with a no good crook like you."

"No good?" Gianni smirked. "That's not what you said in bed..."

"You bastard!"

"Ah…such ugly language coming out of such a pretty girl...what would your boyfriend here think? Speaking of which…he's not looking too good."

"Why don't you just let him go? It's me you want."

"Wrong...it's you I _wanted_...past tense. Now I just want you to pay. Rico...unlock her handcuff."

Face had no choice but to make his move. Adrenaline trumped his pain as he pulled his hand free and pounced onto his charred feet. Luckily, Gianni and Rico had their backs to him as he took their heads between his hands and banged them together full force.

Amy remained frozen in place watching as the stunned men crumpled to the floor. Face barely had time to reach for the gun in Rico's holster before a groggy Gianni yelled for help.

The door opened and the remaining two guards lumbered in. Face fired a warning shot off to the side. "Nobody move!" Backing up closer to Amy so the enemies were all in front of him he motioned with the gun. "Down on the floor with the others."

Once all four were down, without taking his eyes away he said, "Amy…go."

Amy freed her arm and stood but then hesitated; she didn't want to leave him. In spite of Face's astounding performance it was clear that he was in bad shape. His arm shook as he held the gun, he was covered in sweat and his chest was heaving from the exertion.

But it wasn't about what she wanted right now…it was about what Face wanted. And he made it clear earlier that he had wanted her to run. And so she ran.

* * *

It had been smooth sailing once the accident that had caused the traffic was cleared, but each moment they sat idle was another moment Face and Amy's life were at risk. B.A.'s tracker had worked like a charm and led them directly to Face's parked Corvette.

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. approached the warehouse with their weapons drawn. Once inside, Hannibal signaled for Murdock to go left and B.A. right. They moved, seeking cover behind large crates and pieces of machinery until they converged at the beginning of a long corridor.

They heard Face's warning shot and started to run.

* * *

Amy ran blindly down the dark and seemingly never-ending hallway. Her vision clouded by tears, she didn't see them in front of her.

She ran into something solid and felt arms wrap around her holding her tight.

Letting out a piercing scream she began to struggle and kick for her life.

* * *

Face heard Amy scream and his eyes darted toward the open door for just a brief moment. It was just a long enough distraction, however, for Rico to kick out and take his legs out from under him.

Face hit the ground hard landing directly on his right hip. Upon impact the gun fell out of his hand and went sliding across the room. So intense was the pain that it took his breath away left him unable to see anything but bright white.

By the time he got his senses back, they were already on top of him.

"Amy…it's us," Hannibal said as he tried to protect himself from her blows. When it wasn't getting through to her he said in a firm tone, "Allen...stand down."

Amy's body tensed and ceased all movement.

"I only thought that worked with us," Murdock marveled to B.A.

"Amy, where's Face?" Hannibal asked.

At the mention of Face, she crumbled against Hannibal. "Oh, God…it was so awful…he…he…"

They didn't have time for hysterics. "Where's Face?" Hannibal repeated shaking the reporter slightly.

Amy pulled away and pointed in the direction she had come from. "In a room…down…down there."

"Take Face's car," Hannibal ordered, following behind an already moving Murdock and B.A., "and drive straight back to my place…move it!"

Amy waited until the three figures disappeared into the darkness before she turned and ran towards the light of the outdoors.

She ran out the door and didn't look back.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Face was pulled forcefully to his feet by Gianni's two muscular brutes. Lacking the strength to stand on his own, they held him up as his head lolled forward.

"Who are you?" the mob boss demanded.

"Go to hell," Face rasped.

"Wrong answer." Gianni nodded at Rico.

Rico took a step forward and lifted Face's head up to meet his eyes. "I told you that wasn't your name." He held onto Face's hair, taking great joy in the pained expression as he cocked his other arm back and pounded it into Face's abdomen.

"Ah," Face gasped and instinctively tried to double over only to have his neck snapped back by Rico's grip on him.

"I'll ask you one more time…who are you?"

A voice from outside the room answered, "We're the A-Team."

Face heard Hannibal's voice and was energized knowing that the team was near. "And _I'm_ a member," Face smiled at Rico before ramming his knee where the sun didn't shine.

Rico's scream of pain was drowned out by a barrage of gunfire. Face was dropped and he fell to the floor in a heap as the mobsters turned over the table and took cover behind it.

Face crawled over to the corner of the room, curled into a ball and covered his head with his arms as the fireworks went on about him. The noise was deafening, that when it stopped he didn't notice at first for the ringing in his ears. But then he felt a hand on his back and peeked through his arms to see Murdock kneeling beside him.

"Face…it's all over, buddy…you're safe now."

Face looked past Murdock to see Morandi's mob standing with their hands in the air. Their pistols had been no match for the team's automatic rifles.

"B.A., watch them," Hannibal said.

"Right…they ain't goin' nowhere."

When Hannibal approached Face the first thing he noticed was that he was still curled up in the fetal position. Murdock was rubbing his back and talking to him softly.

"Captain, help B.A. tie those clowns up."

Murdock nodded and gave Face a final pat before standing.

"You should ask pretty boy about what happened when he was tied up," Rico sneered.

"Shut up, fool, 'fore I tie your lips together!" B.A. growled.

Face felt the bile rise to his throat and he started to gag.

Alarmed, Hannibal got on his knees. "Get them out of here," Hannibal ordered, figuring it would be easier for them to move than for his injured friend.

Once the room was cleared, Hannibal turned his complete attention to Face. "Hey, kid, they're gone now."

"Amy?"

"She's fine…it's you I'm worried about. How badly are you hurt."

"M'okay." Face tried to push himself up but gasped as pain shot through his side.

'No you're not,' Hannibal thought, but instead he eased Face down and flat onto his back.

"Argh," Face grunted as his body was straightened out.

"Sorry," Hannibal apologized while taking off his jacket, rolling it up, and putting it under Face's head as a pillow. "But I need to check you over and this is the easiest way."

Hannibal went from head to toe mentally cataloging Face's injuries, the worst of which appeared to be his arm and the burns to the soles of his feet. He was also way too hot to the touch. "Besides the obvious, kid, where else does it hurt?"

Face was gritting his teeth and breathing raggedly through his nose. "Hip…right side."

It was rare for Face to so easily divulge such information. "How bad?"

They locked eyes and Hannibal had his answer before Face answered in a choked voice, "hurts bad."

"Let me take a look." Hannibal began to unzip Face's pants to gain access to the area when Face's good arm shot out and grabbed his wrist. There was sheer panic in his eyes as he pleaded, "No…don't…please."

Hannibal's radar went off; he had seen this look before and it wasn't one caused by physical pain.

Face saw Hannibal's eyes flash with recognition and he quickly schooled his features and dropped his arm. "Sorry…go ahead."

Hannibal didn't look convinced. "You sure?" Face nodded. Hannibal decided not to press the issue now, but something had happened to spook his lieutenant so badly. He tucked it away for later and continued, "Okay…let me know if I'm hurting you."

Face tensed as Hannibal finished unzipping his pants. 'This is Hannibal,' he kept reminding himself. As his pants were slowly lowered Face again grasped Hannibal's wrist, but this time it _was_ from the pain. "Ahh," he hissed.

"Sorry, kid." The area over the hip bone was deep purple in color.

B.A. and Murdock walked in as Hannibal was examining Face.

"Ouch," Murdock winced in sympathy.

"You can say that again," B.A. muttered.

"Ouch," the pilot repeated. Under normal circumstances that would have elicited a grin from the con-man, but there was nothing but distress on the handsome man's features.

"Everything taken care of?" Hannibal asked, being vague on purpose.

"Yeah, man." B.A. noticed Face's anxious eyes on him waiting for an answer. "Ain't no need to worry no more 'bout nothin'."

'Except Face,' they all thought, but were surprised when he spoke next in barely a whisper.

"Can we…get outta…here?" His eyes rolled back in his head before he could hear the answer.

The trio sat next to the unconscious man contemplating their options.

"Maggie is about an hour north of here," B.A. offered.

Hannibal rubbed at his chin mulling the idea over. "To be honest, I'm afraid to move him. His hip might be busted and I don't want to do more damage."

"You thinking a hospital?"

Hannibal nodded reluctantly. "I don't see any other choice, Murdock. Aside from his hip, he's burning up meaning his arm is probably a mess under that bandage, and we're not qualified to care for those burns."

"You two stay here with Face. I'm going to go to the van and give Maggie a call…get her take on things."

Maggie's take was in alignment with Hannibal's and less than an hour later Face was being loaded into an ambulance. Luckily, there was a hospital in between their current location and Bad Rock in which a close friend of Maggie's was on staff. Once she explained the situation, the doctor was more than willing to help and immediately arranged for transport.

Hannibal stood outside the van giving last minute instructions. "I'll ride with Face. You two follow us. Maggie's friend is aware of our situation and assured her that he would care for Face himself and try to keep us out of sight." He looked back toward the warehouse. "What about Morandi and company?"

"They secure, man."

Murdock nodded in agreement. "Even if they manage to untie themselves, we locked them inside of a room and there is no way they can break through the lock the big guy used."

"Good. We'll call the cops to pick up the trash...that is after we let it rot for a few days."

The ride to the hospital was uneventful. Face had yet to regain consciousness and for that Hannibal was both grateful and worried at the same time. Hannibal stayed out of the way as one paramedic placed an oxygen mask over Face's mouth and started an IV while another monitored his vitals. He tried to read from their expressions how bad off they thought their patient was, but wasn't able to get anything.

As soon as they reached the hospital they were driven to a back entrance where a middle aged man wearing a white lab coat was waiting outside for them. He introduced himself as Dr. Moore before ushering them inside behind the already moving gurney.

"Wait here while I examine him."

Hannibal was about to protest, but the doctor disappeared behind the steel double doors leaving the three of them standing there.

For the next half-hour nobody spoke or even made eye contact. Hannibal paced, Murdock bit at his nails, and B.A. twisted the rings on his fingers. The room was so quiet that when the doors swung open they all startled and stood at attention.

"Gentleman...have a seat," Dr. Moore said.

"How is he, doc?" Murdock asked anxiously.

The doctor sat in a chair across from the trio. "Right now Templeton...Face...is a very sick man, but in time he should make a full physical recovery."

The way that the doctor specified "physical" recovery struck Hannibal as odd, but he said nothing as the doctor continued.

"His hip is not broken, but he has a severe bone bruise. Unfortunately, this can be just as painful and often takes months to fully heal. His arm is deeply infected and as a result he is running a high fever. I started him on a round of antibiotics and a resident is cleaning out the wound as we speak. He regained consciousness a while ago, but he is extremely weak due to the blood loss. He is also in a great deal of pain, not that he would admit to it. I started him on a morphine drip and gave him a local for his arm. I would have liked to sedate somebody with such injuries, however due to the degree of temperature elevation and his sensitivity to anesthesia, I don't want to risk it. The burns to his feet will need to be debrided, and even with the morphine I'm afraid this will be quite uncomfortable."

"Can I be with him for that?" Hannibal asked.

The doctor nodded. "It's against protocol and highly irregular, however in this case I'll make an exception."

"We are an irregular bunch, doc."

"Speak for yourself, fool," B.A. retorted.

The doctor smiled; he could see why Maggie was so fond of these men. They were a likeable group and seemed to care deeply for one another. It made what he had to say next extra tough. "There is one more thing. During my examination I discovered signs that he may have been sexually assaulted."

Even though Hannibal had suspected as much, hearing the words spoken out loud made him feel sick. Murdock's head fell into his hands and B.A. let out a string of expletives that was rare for the larger man.

After giving the team a minute to process the information, Dr. Moore added, "I'm so very sorry. My team and I will do our best to care for your friend. We are all aware of the good deeds you have done for others and want to help. This is a restricted area of the hospital and you should be safe here."

The doctor got to his feet prompting the others to rise as well.

Hannibal held out his hand. "Thank you...thank you for all you have done."

Moore shook his hand. "Just give me a few moments to check on my patient and set up. I'll have a nurse come get you when it's time."

Once they were alone again B.A. blurted out, "I'm gonna go back and tear them suckers apart."

Hannibal understood B.A.'s anger, but they had to stay calm and focused. "That's not going to help Face feel any better."

"Yeah, but it'll make me feel better!"

Murdock was rocking back and forth slightly. "Poor, Face. How much is one man supposed to take?"

Hannibal put an arm around both of his men; one brimming with anger the other with sorrow. But both hurting for their friend. "Face needs us to be strong for him. We _will_ get him through this."

They stood linked together that way until the nurse came for Hannibal.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

When he first came to Face opened his eyes to a stranger leaning over him. His first instinct was to run or fight, but he was so weak that all he could manage to do was let out a moan.

"Templeton, my name is Dr. Moore. I'm a friend of Maggie and I'm going to take care of you. Your friends are right outside waiting for you...you're going to be just fine."

Fine? He wondered if he would ever be fine again. A combination of pain and memories hit him at once and he screwed his eyes shut tight trying to make it all go away.

"Templeton?"

"Face."

"Excuse me?"

"Call…me…Face."

"Face," Dr. Moore corrected himself, "How bad is your pain?"

"Can take it," Face answered, though his fists were balled and the veins in his neck were sticking out from the strain.

"I'm sure you can, but I'm just going to give you a little something to help you get some rest."

It wasn't long before Face felt like he was floating on air; the morphine had hit his weakened system hard. He barely felt a thing as his arm was tended to or as saline soaked towels were wrapped around his feet. The next thing he knew Hannibal was sitting by his side.

"Hey, kid, how're you doing?"

Face tried to form a response but he couldn't seem to get his lips in sync with his brain.

Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile. "That good, huh? The doc's gonna patch up your feet, now."

Face came back down to earth in a hurry as Dr. Moore began excising skin from the soles of his feet. Hannibal felt sick just watching as he pulled away the dead tissue with forceps and then used a scalpel to slowly cut it away bit by bit. Face reached out for something to hold onto and Hannibal's hand was there waiting.

Face's whimpers of pain were tearing at his heart. "Squeeze my hand, kid," Hannibal soothed wishing he could magically take the hurt away.

The pain in his feet took him back to when Rico was burning him. His breathing started to accelerate and his heart began to beat furiously.

Hannibal saw that look of fear he had seen in the warehouse. He grasped Face's chin with his free hand and turned his head so they were eye to eye. "Face, look at me."

Face looked into the crystal blue eyes of his commander. "Han…bal," he gasped breathlessly.

"That's right…it's Hannibal."

"Hurts."

Hannibal stroked Face's hair paternally. "I know it does…just try to breathe…it will all be over soon." He kept up a gently patter of words until the procedure was over and exhaustion claimed him.

"I'm sorry he had to go through that," Dr. Moore said genuinely.

"That makes two of us." Hannibal still held Face's hand as he responded. "What happens next?"

"We'll get him settled in a room and keep a close eye on him. Our main concern is getting his fever to break and to ward off infection. You and your men can stay with him if you'd like."

'As if you could have stopped us,' Hannibal thought as the doctor walked away.

* * *

_"Please…help me…stop…so hot…please…please…help…"_

Face had been muttering incoherently for hours as he fever spiked. He was trapped inside the inferno that his body had become and he remained in constant motion struggling against both the physical and mental pain.

_"Mommy…don't go…why mommy…why did you leave…please…mommy…"_

They took turns sitting by Face's side and mopping his sweaty brow or placing cold compresses onto his forehead. At first Hannibal hadn't wanted to leave his side and it was only after B.A. threatened to "put him in his own hospital bed" that he gave in and let the sergeant replace him.

_"Tired…so tired…can't breathe…so tired…so tired…"_

It wasn't that Hannibal felt particularly comfortable playing nursemaid and caring for his injured man. Hannibal was a career military man; trained to be tough and strong and not show much emotion. It was hard for him to allow himself to be vulnerable and let his softer side show. But this was Face and Face needed him…his own feelings could take a back seat.

_"Gotta get out…run…guys where are you…I need you…please…help…help me…"_

It wasn't much easier for Murdock or B.A. to watch Face suffer and not be able to do anything more than hold his hand and talk to him softly hoping he could hear. But Face was their brother and would do, and had done, the same for them on countless occasions over the years.

"Don't touch me…please…stop…don't…no…stop…"

They could all see that Face was getting increasingly agitated. He was thrashing about in the bed; tears leaking out beneath his shut eyelids. His breaths were coming out in short gasps. By this point they had all taken vigil at Face's side listening numbly as Dr. Moore explained that unless his temperature went down, and soon, he could suffer permanent damage to his vital organs. It was then that they started to pray.

_"Please…don't leave me…why do they always leave…don't go…I…I….I love you…"_

The team had seen Face through his share of nightmares and fevered delusions over the years, but never once had they heard him utter the words "I love you". They looked at each other in shock wondering who he was referring to, but it wasn't long before they got their answer. Face's eyes opened wide and he bolted straight upright in bed.

_"Amy!"_

"Amy?" the trio repeated.

Face's body went limp and he fell back onto the bed, his head lolling to the side. He was drenched with sweat and deathly still…so still than Hannibal immediately put two fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. He let out the breath he had been holding as he felt it…fast, but steady. He put his other hand to Face's forehead and broke out into a smile. "Go get the doctor…I think his fever broke."

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. stood right outside the door while Face was being examined by Dr. Moore.

"Face's outburst reminded me of one thing…Amy. We should contact her and tell her what's going on." Murdock and B.A. nodded as the colonel continued. "The doc says that now that Face's fever is down he is going to give him a mild sedative to help him rest. Why don't you two call Amy and then get something to eat."

"What about you, colonel?"

"Yeah, you need to eat too, man."

"Bring me back something, okay? I want to stay with Face in case he wakes up."

B.A. gave Hannibal a worried look. "All right. But you better get some rest or I'm gonna have the doctor drug you too."

"Yes, sir," Hannibal saluted sarcastically, but inside he appreciated the concern. "Now get outta here. But be careful and try not to draw attention to yourselves."

Murdock snorted. "Yeah, because B.A. blends in oh so well."

"Shut up fool before I blend you into the ground."

Hannibal shook his head and chuckled as the two argued all the way out the door; it was nice to have some normalcy amongst all of the chaos.

* * *

Murdock sat twiddling his thumbs in the passenger seat of the van while B.A. dialed the number yet again.

"Maybe she's in the shower?" Murdock offered after he hung up.

B.A. shrugged. "Yeah, maybe…but somethin' don't feel right."

"That something is probably your stomach...it's rumbling so much that it's rattling your chains."

"For once you makin' sense, fool. Let's get some grub."

They waited in line at the drive through at a nearby McDonald's when it caught Murdock's eye. "That's strange..."

"Ain't nothin' strange in here but you."

"No really...shouldn't that red dot have moved?"

"What you talkin' about?"

"Take your eyes off the menu and look."

B.A. looked to the spot on the tracking device that Murdock was pointing at and did a double take. "Huh? The 'Vette is back at the warehouse…but that can't be right."

"Unless Amy drove it back there."

"Now why'd she do a thing like that?"

"I don't know, but I'm thinking we should find out."

B.A. sighed giving McDonald's one last look. "I wasn't that hungry anyway."

* * *

"Hannibal, you ain't gonna believe this," B.A. said barging into Face's room.

Hannibal put his fingers up to his lips and then pointed to a still sleeping Face. He then motioned them to go out in the hall.

"Now what aren't I going to believe?"

Murdock began recounting what caused them to return to the warehouse and what they found upon arrival. "The 'Vette wasn't there."

Hannibal had his hands on his hips. "What do you mean it wasn't there?"

"It wasn't there," Murdock repeated. "Gone…departed…vanished…"

B.A. jumped back in but not before throwing Murdock a dirty look. "But the bug was in the dirt where Faceman's car was parked."

Hannibal ran a hand through his silver hair letting it rest at the back of his neck for a moment before responding. "And Amy has seen you place those bugs on other cars plenty of times."

B.A. nodded. "It would have been easy for her to remove it."

"Did you check inside to see if those creeps are still where we left them."

"I did, and they are," Murdock said. "I didn't want the big guy to go anywhere near them in his state of mind."

"I still say them suckers need to pay." B.A. pounded one fist into his other open hand.

"And they will, sergeant. As soon as Face is ready to move out we'll alert the authorities."

Murdock chewed at his lip in thought. "What I don't understand is why Amy would run again; she's safe from Morandi and company."

"I don't know either, Murdock." Hannibal looked through the door at Face. "But the bigger question is what are we going to tell Face?"

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

It turned out that they didn't have to tell Face anything; he had heard the whole thing. It only took one look at the now open blue orbs to know that he had overheard something.

Hannibal realized he couldn't just ignore the topic so he asked, "How much did you hear?"

"Enough.' 'Enough to make me feel sick.'

"I'm sorry, Faceguy. We know how much Amy means to you and…"

Face cut him off quickly. "What do you mean by that?"

"You was talkin' in your sleep, man."

Face's eyes widened at B.A. for a brief moment before he schooled his features. "Look, I was out of my head…I don't know what I was saying."

"Kid, it's okay to be upset."

"I'm not upset, Hannibal." He tried to keep his tone as even as possible. "It's only a car…I can buy another one."

Hannibal narrowed his eyes. "It's more than that, Face."

"It's only a car," he said again robotically. "When can I get out of here?"

Hannibal took a step closer to Face but stopped when he saw the younger man flinch. "Face, you were hurt pretty badly. Your feet were…"

Face's nostrils flared in anger. "I was there, colonel, I don't need a play by play."

It was Hannibal who flinched this time. "I'm sorry."

"No…I'm sorry." Face averted his eyes from the team. "It just…it's just that it's been a rough couple of days."

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. all nodded their agreement; there was nothing they could say. It was the understatement of the year, but they weren't about to call him on it.

With Face pushing too hard only resulted in him shutting down completely. As frustrating as it could be, they knew they had to back off and wait until Face was ready to talk. The trouble was, sometimes that time never came and he just buried his feelings deeper inside.

They could see the signs already; Face was going to downplay what happened and pretend that everything was okay. He was obviously suffering, yet when Dr. Moore came to examine his wounds later he was in full con-man mode. He answered all questions the way he knew the doctor would want him to in order to get released. He didn't make a sound as his dressings were changed and his hip was palpitated. And when offered more pain medication he flashed a smile and said, "No thanks…I'm good."

Face's performance could have won him an Academy Award. But as soon as the doctor was gone they saw Face's entire being sag; his body trembling in a delayed reaction to the treatments.

"Who you tryin' to fool, man?" B.A. questioned.

Face didn't expect them to believe his act; they knew him too well and had been together too long. His voice was shaking almost as badly as the rest of him as he answered, "I just want to go home."

"We know you do, buddy, and after that routine you're getting your wish. But why don't you at least take something for the pain?"

Face shook his head "no". The physical pain he could manage; it was the mental games that the drugs would play with his mind he was trying to avoid. He wanted…no he needed…to be in control right now.

"There's no need for you to suffer, kid."

'Too late,' Face whispered just loud enough for them all to hear it.

"Face…"

"Hannibal, please drop it," Face pleaded.

"Okay," Hannibal sighed reluctantly. "The doc says you can leave in the morning. Let's all try to get some sleep."

* * *

Hannibal listened to Dr. Moore's instructions on how to care for Face's injuries while B.A. pulled up the van and Murdock stayed with Face. By the time they got him settled into a makeshift bed in the back of the van, he was already looking so sick that Hannibal's head told him to bring him right back inside. But his heart argued that what Face needed most in order to heal, both inside and out, was to feel safe and to be in comfortable surroundings. So, ignoring the nagging voice inside of his head, Hannibal took his seat next to B.A. and they started on the journey back to his condo.

B.A. drove slowly but it was still a torturous ride for Face. Each bump sent shockwaves of agony through his hip and arm, leaving him dizzy and breathless. The only reprieve he got was when halfway through the ride when B.A. pulled over at a phone booth so Hannibal could alert the authorities as to where they could find Morandi. It was such a relief to be lying still that it took all his will not to roll over and cry when they started moving again. That is if he could actually roll over.

"Well, with all the evidence in that warehouse Gianni and his men are looking at years behind bars."

"You hear that, Faceman?" When there was no answer, Murdock looked back at his friend. "Face, you okay buddy?"

Face had his jaw clenched and his eyes screwed shut.

Murdock scrambled out of his chair. "You're not okay, are you?"

"Sick...gonna be...sick," Face gasped.

"B.A., stop the van!"

"What for, fool? We just started…"

"NOW!"

B.A. looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Face had a hand cupped over his mouth. He pulled over instantly.

Once stopped, Hannibal jumped out the passenger side door and ran around to the back of the van to find Murdock already had the door open for him. Hopping inside, he took hold of Face's torso and said, "Let's roll him onto his good hip."

Face cried out in pain as he was positioned on his side. But that pain was nothing compared to the pure hell of when he began to retch uncontrollably.

"Oh God," Face moaned in between heaves.

Hannibal knelt in front of Face and held him steady as Murdock was behind rubbing his back. Finally the attack subside and they rolled Face back. His skin was a sickly shade of gray and his eyes were glazed over.

"You're going to be okay, pal," Murdock said gently.

"Murdock's right, kid. Just take some deep breaths."

A grunt came from the front seat. "The man don't need no deep breaths...he need to be back in the hospital."

"No...please...B.A...sorry about van."

B.A. whipped his head around at the sound of the weak voice. "Don't care about my van, Faceman...I care about you."

The van went silent as it was rare for B.A. to make such a statement. Hannibal looked from B.A. to Murdock who shrugged and mouthed "I don't know." Hannibal didn't know either, but he had to make a decision.

The last thing face remembered before losing consciousness was Hannibal saying, "I think Face will be okay...stay the course sergeant."

And when he woke up next in a bed Hannibal was still by his side, but this time sitting upright in a chair.

"Welcome back, kid."

"How long?" Face asked, his voice rough and gravelly.

"How long have you been out?"

This time Face settled for just nodding.

"A little over a day. I was starting to really worry." Hannibal poured a glass of water and offered it to Face. Face smiled appreciatively, but when he reached out with his good arm to take it Hannibal could see that his hand was shaking terribly. "Here, let me help you."

Face felt uncomfortable having Hannibal feed him the water, but the heavenly feel of the cool liquid going down his throat made up for it.

"Better?" Hannibal asked when face was done.

"Yeah...thanks. Where's Murdock and B.A.?"

"Getting some sleep...though I had to order them out of here." Hannibal smiled. "B.A. practically had Murdock by the throat as he dragged him out the door."

"Why don't you get some sleep too...you look awful," Face tried to joke, knowing full well he must look ten times worse.

"I thought maybe we could talk a bit first."

"About what?"

Hannibal resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead answered gently, "Face, I think it's kind of obvious."

Face looked down. "I don't want to talk…I just want to move on."

"Face…" Hannibal tried once more.

"Colonel, please let it go." Face's bottom lip started to quiver.

Hannibal could see that Face was about to lose control and the look on his face tore at his heart. "Okay, kid. But you know we're here if you need us."

Face nodded and gave a small smile. He shifted to get more comfortable and winced as he jostled his hip.

"How's the pain?"

"Only hurts when I move," Face lied with a fake grin. It just hurt more when he moved.

"You want something for it?"

"No…I'm okay. Why don't you get some sleep?" He pointed to his feet. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Hannibal could see the wall going up right before his eyes. Face was turning on his charm and deflecting him with his wit.

Hannibal reluctantly stood. "Okay. I'll be right down the hall." He was halfway out the door when Face called out to him.

"Colonel?"

Hannibal turned back, "Yeah, kid?"

"Thanks."

Hannibal smiled at his lieutenant. But as soon as he turned away and exited it was replaced with a frown. Shutting the door behind him, he realized he was also shutting the door on the conversation. At least for now.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

"Coffee, Faceman?"

"Yeah…thanks B.A.," Face answered from the kitchen table.

B.A. started the coffee maker and then began rummaging around first the cabinets and then the refrigerator looking for anything suitable for breakfast. He really was just trying to avoid having to make conversation with Face. B.A. wasn't one to hold back what he was thinking; if he had something to say he would just say it. But with Face it was different and that made him uncomfortable.

B.A. was relieved when Hannibal entered the kitchen just as the coffee was ready. "Want a cup, colonel?"

"Yes, please." Hannibal sat down at the table across from Face. "Hey, kid…how are your new wheels treating you?"

Face blanched as immediately a vision of his Corvette…his old wheels…popped into his head.

"Face…you okay?"

"Um…yeah…sorry."

Hannibal wasn't convinced. "You sure…you got awfully pale there for a moment." Hannibal knew that Face was trying his hardest to pretend that everything was fine…and was doing a pretty good job at it too. But the fact remained that things weren't fine; Face wasn't fine and until he admitted it to himself and the others there would be an awkward tension between them.

"I'm okay." Face picked up the mug B.A. had just placed before him. "I just need some of this to wake me up is all."

"You need more than that, Faceman," B.A. muttered under his breath after giving Hannibal his coffee and walking back to hide in the refrigerator some more.

"Back to my question, how're you doing with the wheelchair?"

Face was back on his game as he flashed a smile and quipped. "It's great…I think I can get used to being pushed around and waited on hand and foot." In reality, he hated it. Due to his healing arm, he had to rely on one of the guys to push him. And since he couldn't stand on his feet whatsoever yet and only had the use of the one arm, he needed help doing almost everything.

"Well don't get _too_ used to it." Hannibal raised his eyebrows and teased, "and that wasn't what you were saying a couple of days ago."

"Can you blame me?"

Hannibal shook his head. "Guess not."

Face had been confined to his bed for three days before Murdock came rolling into his room in the wheelchair followed by Hannibal and B.A. who were on foot. "Look what we got for you, muchacho…you're very own Face-mobile!"

"Uh-uh…no way," Face protested.

"C'mon…it'll be fun." Murdock hopped out of the chair and bowed before Face. "And I will be your trusty chauffeur."

"Can't trust you to be anythin' but crazy, fool. And 'sides, I'm the team's driver…I'll push you Faceman."

"Wait one min…" Face started but was interrupted by Murdock.

"No way, you have enough weight to carry with all that gold you're lugging around."

"Don't make me strangle you with some of this gold…I said I'd do the pushin'!"

Face looked imploringly at Hannibal who was trying hard not to laugh. "Colonel, do something."

"What…do you want _me_ to push you?"

"Han-ni-bal," Face whined.

The colonel put up his hand in a conciliatory manor. "Okay, okay…boys stop fighting over who gets to play with Face. You can take turns. Now behave or I'll send you to your rooms."

Face sighed. "Very funny. Listen, nobody will be pushing me anywhere because I'm not getting in that thing. And even if I did, I would push myself, thank you very much."

Hannibal sobered and walked over to Face's bed. "Face, the doc said you wouldn't be able to put any weight on your feet for at least two weeks…that's ten more days. And if you use your arm you are going to rip the stitches. You can't stay cooped up in here for all that time."

'Wanna make a bet,' he thought. But Face realized if he was going to convince them that he was okay he would have to play along. So he conceded and, after Murdock and B.A. tossed a coin to see who would indeed go first, he painfully was helped into the chair for the first time.

"I could do without the car noises Murdock makes as he pushes though," Face groused, back in the present time.

At that moment the pilot came through the door whistling.

"And speakin' of the devil," B.A. said.

Murdock stopped and batted his eyes at the group innocently. "But I'm such an angel…I can even fly."

"Don't remind me," B.A. countered. "Is that the paper?"

"Sure is." Murdock tossed the rolled up newspaper onto the table and it opened up right in front of Face.

"I call dibs on the sports page," B.A. announced.

Face sat staring at the front page transfixed by the headline…and the author's name below it: Amy Allen.

"Face…what is it?" Hannibal asked.

But Face didn't hear him; he just kept reading until the words began to jumble together and he had seen enough. He hadn't even noticed that the others were now standing behind him and reading over his shoulder.

"Can…can somebody take me back to my room?" Face asked in a husky voice.

Hannibal put a hand on Face's shoulder. "I think it's time we talked."

Face shook off the hand. "I don't want to talk…I want to be left alone."

Hannibal turned Face's chair around so he was facing them. "We've let this go on long enough…"

"Oh…we have?" Face's eyes flashed in anger and frustration. "Last time I checked, _**we**_ weren't kidnapped; _**we**_ didn't have a lighter held to the bottom of our feet; _**we**_ weren't tied down and…and…"

They could see the wall he had built up starting to crack before their very eyes; he was breathing hard and had broken out into a sweat.

"Let it out, buddy," Murdock encouraged.

'The only thing I'm letting out is myself,' he thought, inwardly cursing the fact that he was in a wheelchair and unable to storm out of the room.

"We just wanna help you, man,"

"There's that _**we**_ again. Well, _**I**_ am out of here." The adrenaline coursing through his veins got him onto his blistered feet and sheer will allowed him to take a few strides before the pain kicked in, his legs buckled and he fell to the ground.

"Face!" came the simultaneous cry as the team rushed to his side.

Face had curled into a ball on his uninjured side and was oblivious to the men kneeling by his side. He was panting and gasping for air but couldn't seem to get enough to satisfy his lungs. His world began to gray around the edges.

"He's hyperventilating." Hannibal announced the obvious.

Murdock got up and scrambled through some drawers until he victoriously held up a small brown paper bag.

"What you gonna do, crazy fool, make him lunch?"

"I'm going to make him breathe...consider it an oxygen sandwich." Murdock knelt back down directly in front of Face's head and spoke loudly hoping Face could hear. "I'm going to put this bag over your nose and mouth, buddy. Just try to breathe slow and deep."

Face struggled as he felt something press against his face. Gradually, however, he started to relax as the bag worked it's magic.

Hannibal jumped on the opportunity to speak while Face was a captive audience and unable to answer back. "Face, look at me." He waited until the hesitant blue eyes met his own before going forward. "You want to know why I say 'we'? It's because _**we**_ are a team and _**we**_ care about you. Don't shut us out."

As Murdock removed the bag Face felt vulnerable and exposed; he felt the tears forming in his eyes and the heat rising in his cheeks. A single sob escape his throat and he tried desperately to hold the rest back. But then he saw the genuine concern written all over his friends' faces and what had been cracks in his wall became breaks; the dam broke and his wall came tumbling down.

Once the tears started to fall he couldn't hold them back. He turned his head to the floor not wanting them to see him like that, but there was no mistaking the shaking of his shoulders and the soft sounds of him crying. Nobody said a word; they thought it better to let him finally let go of his pent up emotions.

Later, Face was so drained from his catharsis that he didn't even protest when B.A. scooped him up and carried him to the bedroom and placed him on the bed. He felt a cool cloth being placed onto his forehead and a blanket pulled up to his shoulders.

"You still with us?" Hannibal asked while he took Face's wrist between his fingers and checked his pulse. It was a bit fast, but given the circumstances, acceptable.

"Yeah."

"Can we get you anything?"

"Got a clock so I can unwind time?" Face answered sadly.

Hannibal exchanged worried glances with Murdock and B.A. who were positioned by the door before saying, "I wish I could do that for you, kid."

Face grimaced and closed his eyes as his earlier rise and then fall to the floor had taken it's toll on his already abused body.

"Tell me the truth…how bad are you hurting?" Hannibal questioned, adding in his head, 'inside and out'.

"Hurts," Face admitted. After the display he had just put on for the team he knew there was no point in hiding anymore.

"Do you want something for the pain?"

"No," Face shook his head. "But I'd like to talk…if that's okay?"

Murdock and B.A. thought that Face was only talking to Hannibal and made as if to exit the room, but Face stopped them. "Please stay."

Face began by telling them about his feelings for Amy while leaving out the intimate details. "But then she took off and...well...she was one more person to add to my list."

"Your list of what, man?" B.A. interjected.

"Rejection," Face answered with a sigh.

"But how did we miss all of this?" Murdock marveled.

"Hey, you don't call me the Faceman for nothing," Face forced a smile. "Anyway, I had moved on...or so I thought...until she called last week. Bam...all the feelings came rushing right back."

They listened as Face explained what happened after they left him and Amy alone in the condo; about how she had told him she was going to shower only to escape out the window. He was able to keep his composure until he got to the part where Rico had him down on the table.

"I...I couldn't move...could barely breathe." His voice shook, as did his hands, which he clasped together and started nervously wringing. "God it hurt...I...he..." Face stopped short as the memories forced a lump to his throat.

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. felt lumps of their own growing. All they had wanted was for Face to talk; but wanting him to talk and having to listen were two different things.

"He…he didn't do…um…it," Face finally was able to get out. There was no need to explain what 'it' was. "Oh, he did plenty…and would have if given more time…but I guess I got lucky."

"Lucky?" Hannibal asked, not realizing he had said it out loud. Only Face could make such a statement about almost being raped.

"Lucky you guys got there when you did," Face explained. "You saved Amy…and I don't think I could have survived seeing her hurt."

"Correction, buddy…**_you_** were the one to save Amy."

"Murdock's right, Faceman. Amy was on her way out when we was comin' in."

"Can you repeat that first part again, big guy?"

"Say what, fool?"

"That I'm right." Murdock slung his arm around B.A.'s shoulder. "I cherish these rare moments."

"I ain't repeatin' nothing, but my fist is gonna repeat poundin' on your face if you don't get that arm off of me."

"Spoil sport," Murdock slunk down in his chair and pouted.

Face broke out into a genuine smile that felt unfamiliar to his lips of late. It felt good to talk and to finally release his pent up feelings. But now that his mind was a bit more at ease, he was becoming increasingly aware of the pain everywhere else.

Hannibal watched with concern as Face's smile was replaced with a grimace. "You doing alright, kid?"

Face opened his mouth; his standard answer of "fine" about to roll off the tip of his tongue. But the truth was that he was exhausted and his body ached from head to toe. So he settled for a shadow of his previous smile and answered, "if I look anywhere near as bad as I feel, you might have to give me a new name."

B.A. stood and walked over to the dresser where he picked up a small orange container and shook out two small white pills. "Take 'em."

Face accepted the medication along with a class of water. "So I do look as bad as I feel?"

"Worse," came the unanimous and simultaneous answer.

Face rolled his eyes. "Gee, don't sugarcoat things on my account."

"Swallow them, man…ain't gonna take no for an answer."

Face was secretly glad for B.A.'s insistence as it took away the embarrassment of having to admit to himself, and to the others, that he needed some pain relief. It wasn't long before the effects of the drugs started to kick in and his eyelids were becoming too heavy to hold open. "Think m'gonna sleep now," he slurred.

Hannibal led the trio to the door. "We'll be right outside if you need us."

Face nodded as they started to exit. "Oh…and guys?" He waited for them to turn around. "I really did love that car."

It was obvious that although Face referred to his prized Corvette, in his heart he was talking about Amy.

"Don't worry, pal," Murdock cheered. "There are plenty of cars in the lot."

"Hmmm…but none with a body like that," he mumbled as his eyes slid shut.

B.A. was the last out the door and he shut it behind him. "Looks like Faceman gonna be alright after all."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

Amy stood outside the door repeatedly raising her fist to knock, only to lower it seconds later unsure if she could go through with it. Looking back at the Corvette she had just returned to the parking lot she considered leaving it there and calling a taxi to pick her up. They would discover the vehicle sooner or later and she wouldn't have to endure what was sure to be a very uncomfortable situation.

It would be so easy to run away…again. But that was the problem. All of her running had cost her the one thing she wanted most yet had never been able to find: true love.

It had been right before her very eyes, but she hadn't seen it. More like, hadn't let herself see it. Sure, she had found Face handsome; it was hard to find a woman who didn't. And there was lots of playful flirting between the two of them along with some sexual tension. But it wasn't until that day on the beach that she felt something deeper…deeper than she had ever felt before for another man.

Face had been right; they had made love under the pier. And to say it was special…well that was an understatement. It was extraordinary; that is what scared her so badly.

That feeling of completeness…of absolute bliss…of being one with somebody. It couldn't be real. And if it was real, it couldn't last. Nothing that good could last, and she didn't trust herself to deal with the hurt of losing it…of losing Face.

But by leaving so suddenly that is exactly what she had done…she lost Face.

And by coming back the way she did, she not only caused him to be injured physically, she abandoned him yet again. Face saved her life and what had she done for him in return? Stole his car and wrote a newspaper article detailing her relationship with Gianni and taking full credit for his incarceration.

Amy knew the team never did anything for the accolades or attention; that was the last thing they wanted. And in the past they would have insisted that she leave them out of the story and write as she had done. But this time was different. This time it was too personal and the story should never have been written…or at least the version that was published.

Amy lifted her fist once more; she couldn't take back what she had done, but she could at least own up to it and give them all some closure.

Closure? Was there even such a thing when broken hearts were involved?

Taking a deep breath she proceeded to knock.

Hannibal was sitting on the couch reading a magazine when he heard a knock on the door. He looked over at Murdock and B.A., neither of which made a move to get up.

"You the closest, man," B.A. pointed out.

"B.A.," Murdock scolded with a wink, "have a little respect for your elders."

Hannibal hurled a pillow in their direction before rising to answer the door.

The already present butterflies in Amy's stomach picked up their pace as the door opened and she stood facing Hannibal.

"Ms. Allen," he said dryly.

'Ms. Allen…not Amy.' She swallowed hard. "Hannibal."

"Can't say I'm surprised…nothing about you surprises me anymore."

"I…um…brought back Face's car." Amy's voice sounded foreign in her own ears; a few octaves too high and strained. She held out the car keys in front of her trying to keep her hand from shaking.

Hannibal wordlessly accepted the keys, his hard blue eyes staring intently at her and seemingly through her.

After an uncomfortable silence he asked, "why'd you come here…I mean, why are you really here?"

Amy felt like a little kid who had been sent to the principal's office. "To…um…return the 'Vette…and um…to apologize." Hannibal said nothing and she could feel her palms begin to sweat. "Can I…can I come in…sir?"

'Sir?' Hannibal thought. 'The kid really must be nervous.' He moved away from the door allowing her entrance.

"Murdock. B.A.," Amy greeted the pair that remained perched on the couch wearing almost identical scowls. Coming from B.A. it was expected, but from Murdock it was unnerving.

B.A. twisted his rings on his fingers as he said, "Looks like you got that front page story you was after."

"Hope it was worth it," Murdock added grimly.

"No…no it wasn't," Amy admitted in a soft voice looking down at her feet. "And if I could take it all back I would."

"But…you can't," Hannibal retorted.

"I know…"

The colonel cut her off. "No…I don't think you really do, Ms. Allen. We let you into our circle…something we don't take very lightly. You became one of us; part of our team. But you hurt a member of our team…hurt him badly and more than once."

Amy nodded close to tears. "I'm so very sorry. I never wanted him to get hurt…for any of you to be hurt. How…how is Face?"

Hannibal shrugged. "He's coming along, but he's certainly been better."

"Where is he?"

Murdock pointed toward the bedroom. "Taking a nap. He just got back from physical therapy session and they take a lot out of him."

"Faceman nearly busted his hip savin' your hyde."

"Can I see him…I mean when he wakes up?"

Hannibal shook his head and was about to say 'no' when coming from the direction that Murdock had just pointed to Face's voice said, "He's awake…and he can answer for himself."

She heard him before she saw him. But her breath caught and her heart sped up as he slowly walked into the room leaning heavily on a cane. Pain was etched in his fine features and he was breathing hard as he stopped right in front of her. "Amy," he said simply and she crumpled. The tears fell and her shoulders shook.

"Oh, Face," she cried.

Face's stomach lurched at the sight; this was going to be one of the hardest things he ever had to do. He held out his free hand toward the brunette and said, "C'mon, we need to talk." He turned to his teammates and added, "alone."

Amy took his hand and they made the trip back to his room. Once inside he slowly lowered himself onto the bed and took some deep breaths trying to bring the pain down as well as steel himself for what was about to come.

Amy felt a pang of guilt as she took in the pasty pallor of the man before her. "Are you okay?"

Face held up a hand indicating he needed a moment and just continued to breathe. Finally when he trusted himself to speak he gave a crooked grin and said, "I'm okay...it only hurts when I try to do something stupid…like walk." Amy's face fell. "Hey...relax...it was just a joke."

"How can you find any of this funny? Look what I did to you."

"You didn't do this...Morandi did."

"But only because I came to you for help." Amy buried her face into her hands.

"I'm glad you came to me for help. I'm not sorry about what happened to me a month ago...I'd do anything to protect you. What I am sorry about is what happened to us two years ago."

"That was my fault too."

"Amy...look at me."

Amy lowered her hands and wiped at her cheeks before meeting his eyes.

"Placing blame isn't going to get us anywhere. The past is in the past, and the only way I'm ever truly going to heal is for us to part ways and move on."

"Move on?" Amy's heart sank.

Face nodded. "Yeah. It's for the best. I loved you and you threw me away and then used me to get a story."

Amy's heart dropped lower. 'Loved...past tensed,' she thought.

Face continued, "I've been hurt too many times in my life and you of all people should know that. I can't take it anymore."

"I just want you to know that I loved you too."

"You certainly had an interesting way of showing it." There was no bitterness in the statement, just sadness.

"I felt I had to finish what I started with Morandi before coming back again. I still do love you, Templeton."

Face felt his resistance wavering; if he was really honest with himself he felt the same way. "Please, Amy...don't call me that. What's done is done. I wish you nothing but the best in life...but that life won't be including me."

The tears began to flow again. "I understand. You deserve better than how I've treated you." Amy reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. "Before I go, I want to give you this. This is the story that should have been published." She tossed it onto the bed beside him. "Maybe someday you can read it."

"Maybe…someday." Face stood with gritted teeth and reached for his cane. Not wanting Amy to have to go against his overprotective friends in the other room he said. "I'll see you out."

Once more Face limped out toward the living room, but this time not only did his hip hurt, so did his heart.

The rest of the team stood up; as much as to say their final goodbyes to Amy as in support of Face who looked as if he about ready to drop. Leaning on the cane his arm was shaking fiercely and droplets of sweat were starting to form on his forehead. But he kept his face a picture of calm; the epitome of the Faceman.

Face stopped when he was even with the team, but Amy kept walking until she reached the door. Turning she looked at each of them individually.

"Hannibal...Murdock...B.A." She was happy to see the hostility she was met with upon arrival had disappeared and was replaced with genuine care. It was bittersweet and almost too much for her to bear. She paused and closed her eyes briefly before saying, "Face."

"I'll always treasure the memories. Take care of yourselves." She opened the door took one last look. "Goodbye."

She was gone…and this time for good. The realization hit Face like a ton of bricks and all the strength he had been trying to portray drained from his body leaving him dizzy and weak.

Hannibal saw Face start to sway and quickly reached out to steady him. "Face?"

Face teetered for a few moments as the room began to swirl around him. He felt himself falling and waited for the impact of the hard floor. Instead, however, he was caught by Hannibal and lowered slowly down onto the ground.

"I gotcha, kid," Hannibal soothed. "Just take it easy."

The last thing he remembered were his friends by his side as his world faded to black.

TBC…one part to go!


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

Face sat in his Corvette in one of his favorite locations that overlooked the ocean.

He liked to come to this spot to think and clear his head; something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately.

The team would be starting its first job since Face had been injured the next day and Face was looking forward to things getting back to normal. He had taken strides toward that end over the last few weeks by moving out of Hannibal's condo, finishing up his physical therapy, and ridding himself completely of his cane.

It was when he was unpacking up his belongings that Face noticed the envelope Amy had left for him. It took him a shot of scotch before he had the nerve to even open the envelope…and one more before he could begin reading. By the time he was through he had downed a couple more. He wasn't a big drinker so it hit him hard, but no harder than the words on the pages. She had gone for broke and poured out her heart...and in the process reminded him of why he had loved her so much to begin with.

Her final paragraphs were permanently etched into his mind:

_Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the following words: "I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.'_

_I never truly understood the meaning of this phrase until my own actions caused me to lose the man that I love. In my darkest moments, which are many these days, I look back at the precious time spent and don't regret a second. I am a better woman for having known him and his wonderful friends. What I do regret, however, is that we won't have more time. I wish we had time to build memories and start a new life together._

_This reporter has spent years following leads and looking for the next big story. What I know now is that this should have been the biggest story of my live…my love story. Unfortunately, for me there will be no happy ending. I can only hope and pray that for my love the same won't be true. _

_Amy Allen_

Breathing in the salt air, Face could see a new pier being built in the distance. It was a replacement for a pier that had began to lean and eventually collapsed due to a weak foundation.

Perhaps that was what had gone wrong between him and Amy; the foundation for a relationship had been too weak. If that was true then, like the pier, they could start over. They could start from scratch, build a strong foundation and stand together for years to come.

On a whim…though in reality it had been building for weeks…Face picked up the phone and dialed the seven digits.

_"Hello, you have reached Amy Allen. I am unavailable to take your call, but of you leave your name and number I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Have a nice day."_

Just hearing her voice again stole his breath and it took him a few seconds after the beep before he could speak.

"Hi…um…Amy…it's Face…er…Templeton. I…um…just wanted to tell you that I agree with you. It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. But you know what is even better? Not losing.

So…well…anyway…the guys and I will be out of the country for a few weeks and I was thinking that…um…when I get back you might want to take a walk on the beach with me?

There's this new pier I thought we could check out together…"

The End


End file.
